The Osteoarthritis Manual

Osteoarthritis is a major cause of pain and disability and affects many people over the age of 50 years. Concerningly, it is being seen with increased frequency in younger adults. OA is characterized by cartilage loss in weight-bearing joints with development of abnormal bone enlargement, bone spurs, and thickening of the joint capsule.  Traditional medical approaches focus on symptom control without treating underlying root causes. Many pharmaceutical drugs used to treat OA have the potential to cause nutritional deficiencies and disrupt chemical balance in the body. Not only do these drugs fail to resolve the underlying reasons for developing OA, but they can have many serious long term side effects.  link. Modern medical approaches offer hope of better outcomes that may help prevent or even reverse osteoarthritis.

Risk factors associated with development of osteoarthritis (OA) were explored in chapter one. Chapter two builds on the concept of risk by contrasting traditional/classical theories of the cause of OA with modern theories that explain potential root causes underlying OA. There are multiple theories and hypotheses that attempt to explain the causes of osteoarthritis and there are most likely many root causes that lead to OA, either alone, or more likely, in combination. Today we have a better understanding of potential root causation than in the past, and therefore novel treatments can be designed that may be more effective than traditional methods in treating or even reversing OA.

Previous chapters of this book explored risk factors, root causes, and impact of nutritional deficiencies on OA. This chapter focuses on the diagnosis of OA. Traditional diagnostic approaches are described first, followed by a look at newer diagnostic strategies that show promise in uncovering root causes of OA. This knowledge may lead to earlier treatments that could possibly prevent future loss of cartilage or eliminate the need for joint replacements.

The focus of Chapter 5 is on treatment approaches for osteoarthritis (OA). The first section of Ch 5 summarizes traditional treatment approaches for OA which is directed at symptom management and ultimately joint replacement surgery. The second section gives a detailed exploration of modern regenerative approaches. The modern approach builds on nutritional and cellular therapies to maximize healing potential and optimize joint health.